The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Nigeria, Mr. Andrey Podelyshev, has called on the international community to formally qualify the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II as an act of genocide.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja ahead of the 81st anniversary of Victory Day on May 9, Ambassador Podelyshev warned that a contemporary “battle of narratives” is threatening to distort historical facts and undermine the foundations of modern international law.
A Legal Shift in Historical Status
The Ambassador highlighted significant legislative changes in Russia effective as of early 2026. Under new federal laws, the mass killings of Soviet citizens by Nazi forces and their collaborators are now officially classified by the Russian state as the Genocide of the Soviet People.
”This conclusion is based on international law, specifically the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,” Podelyshev stated. He argued that the “Generalplan Ost”—the Nazi project for the colonization of Eastern Europe—proved a deliberate intent to physically destroy or enslave the population.
The Scale of Human Loss
Ambassador Podelyshev provided a breakdown of the statistics regarding Soviet casualties between 1941 and 1945, emphasizing that the scale went far beyond traditional “civilian casualties” of war:
- Total Losses: Over 27 million Soviet citizens.
- Deliberate Exterminations: Approximately 7.4 million civilians were deliberately killed through executions and other mass atrocities.
- Forced Labor: 2.2 million people died in German concentration camps and forced labor units.
- Starvation and Siege: Over 1 million people perished during the Siege of Leningrad alone.
- Prisoners of War: Roughly 3.1 million Soviet POWs (60% of the total captured) died in captivity, compared to a 3-4% mortality rate for Allied soldiers from the US and UK.
Condemnation of “Historical Distortion”
The envoy expressed deep concern over the “systematic destruction” of Soviet memorials in parts of Europe and the Baltic states. He specifically criticized the glorification of historical figures like Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych in Ukraine, describing them as Nazi collaborators whose organizations were responsible for the Volhynia massacre and the burning of Khatyn.
”When the ideological heirs of execution squads are called ‘freedom fighters,’ the truth is not merely distorted—it is destroyed,” the Ambassador remarked. He linked the current “renaissance of Nazism” to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, suggesting that if European institutions had responded to these ideologies earlier, the current “Special Military Operation” might have been avoided.
Diplomatic Appreciation for Nigeria
Ambassador Podelyshev concluded by thanking Nigeria for its support on the global stage. He specifically cited Nigeria’s co-sponsorship of the UN General Assembly resolution on “combating the glorification of Nazism and neo-Nazism” adopted in December 2025.
For Russia, May 9 remains a “deeply personal experience” and a pillar of the post-war world order. The Ambassador reiterated that protecting this historical truth is essential for global security and preventing the resurgence of ideologies based on racial superiority.